I, too, am very sorry about your grandfather, but airlines aren't in the business of deciding which of the various things that can disrupt travel are worth waiving fees and which aren't.

They sell tickets for various prices, and some of the prices will get you the right to make changes, some will get you the right to make changes with a hefty fee, and some will not get you the right to make changes at all. What determines what rights you have if something disrupts your travel plans is what kind of ticket you have, not what it is that is causing the disruption.

I absolutely support your right to stop giving your business to United, and I absolutely think you are right to tell them why so that they can make informed decisions about whether to change their policies -- but I doubt that you would be getting what you want from some other airline either. I hope that if, as you scrutinize other airlines' policies to see which ones you like, you find one that would have treated you the way you wish United were treating you, you will let us know. I'm sure there are a lot of PFB readers who would like that information.